Electroilluminating advertising device



-March 14, 1939. A. .1. WATERMAN 2,150,643

ELECTROILLUMINATING ADVERTIS ING D EVICE Filed April 25, 1958 I 774 13aW6 Patented Mar. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES ELEOTROILLUMINATING ADVERTISINGDEVICE Arthur J. Waterman, New York, N. Y.

Application April 25, 1938, Serial No. 204,066

7 Claims.

The invention relates to an electro-illuminating advertising deviceparticularly to be used for in-door advertising and display.

The object of the invention is the provision of a novel carrier whichsupports .and encases all the accessories of the device particularly theilluminating tubes and the electrical equipment,

Which further represents an attractive and effective reproduction of thearticle to be advertised and displayed,

Which can be mass-produced in a simple and cheap manner,

Which is provided in a. process of manufacture with openings, channelsand recesses for the reception of all its accessories,

Which ensures a reliable and safe mounting of said accessories and Whichis superior to known devices of this kind in point of manipulation,practical operation and use.

With advertising devices of the present type the utilization of areproduction of the article to be advertised has already been suggested;such reproduction has e. g. been shown as casing of a a cover supportingthe transformer and the terminals of the illuminating tubes.

Advertising devices of this type have also been designed as a bottle,said bottle encasing a transformer and a tube which extends through theneck of the bottle and is bent to the shape of the desiredadvertisement.

The main drawback of these known devices is their unsufiicientapplicability to practical use. The costs of production are far toogreat for mass-production. The mounting of the accessories particularlythe illuminating tubes and the electrical outfit is complicated andunsafe; consequently there is the great danger of being eas- 40 ilydamaged; this is a grave disadvantage in the present case because theimportant requirement of these devices is that they can be handled bythe user without excess of precaution.

These drawbacks of the known devices are obviated by the invention.

With this purpose in View the present device represents a reproductionor dummy body of the article to be advertised made from a mouldable orplastic material, e. g. gypsum, artificial wood 50 and stonecompositions, artificial resins and the like the recesses and openingsfor the reception and the mounting of all accessories being providedduring its manufacture by casting, mould-= ing, pressing and similarmethods; these re- 55 cesses,- openings and channels are provided inradio-receiving set said set being provided with conformity with theshape of the illuminating tubes and the equipment connected therewithand being necessary to operate the same and to fasten it onto thecarrier. Therefore this carrier represents a ready-made supporting bodyfor 5 the illuminating tubes and the electrical equipment connectedtherewith. To mount the tubes and its accessories on the supportingarticle no additional means are needed. Thereby an exceedingly cheapproduction and a safe handling 10 of the advertising sign is ensured.

The invention is illustrated in its present embodiment as a shoe displaydevice, the supporting body for the illuminating sign therefor havingthe shape of a shoe body, which may be covered with leather, fabrics orother materials used in the shoe manufacture .and show thecharacteristic outside features of a shoe. The illuminating signconsisting e. g. of neon glass tubes is located on and adjacent to theside face of the shoe body. The body has preferentially several timesthe-size of a normal shoe. It is made from a mouldable material and allthe recesses, channels .and opening for the reception and the mountingof the illuminating tubes, its associated parts, the transformer and theconnection with the latter are provided in the supporting body duringits manufacture by the application of suitable cores.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the annexed drawing ofwhich Fig. 1 shows a side view of one half of the displayed article and,

Fig. 2 shows a horizontal section on line A-B.

The article which has been selected to illustrate the invention by wayof example consists of a shoe body I showing on its outside all thecharacteristic features of a mans half-shoe. It is made from mouldablematerial and may be covered with leather, rubber or any other materialused in the shoe-manufacture, or fabrics, paints and the like. The bodyI being shown as on half of a shoe dummy and having a size whichpreferentially exceeds several times the size of a normal shoe is madefrom the mouldable material by any suitable method, this materialpreferably being reinforced by inserts, burlap, screening, metal and thelike.

The illuminating sign constituted by the glass tubes 2 and forming theinscription Bestmade is located in front of the body I; the tubes 2 aremounted in and on this supporting body I by means of the return tubesections 1, l I, these return tube sections are inserted in the channels9 and 4 leading from the recess 3 for the transformer 5 to the frontface of the carrier or supporting body I.

A second illuminating tube system 12 is provided to follow the outlineof the shoe body I. For the mounting of this second illuminating systemthe same arrangement is chosen. Accordingly two channels 83a, 12 areprovided in the body I, which lead from the front face to thetransformer 5 and receive the return tube sections Ma and Mb of thesecond. tube system I2.

The transformer is provided with a contact plug [5. The advantages ofthe invention are fully apparent from the foregoing description.

The carrier fully symbolizing on its outside and by its shape and itscontours the article to be displayed represents a ready-made or finishedmounting for the illuminating tubes, the transformer and the entireelectrical operating equipment. It is provided during the manufacturethere of with the recesses and channels 3, l, 9, I30: and I31) from thetransformer recess 3 to the front side.

The illuminating signs are as a whole inserted into these channels withtheir return tube sections H, '7, i2 these sections producing at thesame time the connection with the transformer and the support of thesigns in the carrier i. To further assure a solid and reliable supportof the tube holders ifia, i627, may be inserted in holes Ila, ill) ofthe carrier l, which are also provided in the carrier during itsproduction. These holders preferentially consist of glass tube sectionsforming one structural unit with the illuminating tubes.

A contact plug 5 5 is provided to connect the transformer to a source ofcurrent.

The sign represents an easily transportable unit, which may be placed onfloors, showcases, tables or may be hung up on Walls and on the ceilingof display-rooms, show-windows and the like.

What I claim is:

1. An electro-illuminating and display device comprising illuminatingtubes, a transformer, electrical operating equipment and a carrier forsaid tubes, said carrier representing the article to be displayed andconsisting of mouldable material, recesses and channels within saidcarrier for mounting and introducing said illuminating tubes saidtransformer and said electrical equipment, said carrier being aready-made mounting unit with avoidance of additional fastening means.

2. An electro-illuminating and display device comprising illuminatingtubes, electrical operating equipment, a carrier for said tubes, saidcarrier representing a dummy body of the article to be displayed andconsisting of mouldable material, said illuminating tub-es beingarranged on and adjacent to the outer face of said carrier, return tubesections, a transformer, a recess for said transformer, channels leadingfrom the transformer-recess to the front face of said carrier forreceiving said return tube sections in said carriena contact plugfastened to said transformer, said carrier'thereby being a readymademounting unit for said transformer said tubes and said electricalequipment with avoidanceof additional fastening means.

3. An electro-illuminating advertising and display device comprising acarrier, a transformer, two illuminating tube systems, the one of saidtube systems being located on and adjacent to the outer face of saidcarrier, the second of said tube systems following the outline of saidcarrier, return tube sections, said carrier forming a dummy body of thearticle to be displayed and consisting of mouldable material, recessesand channels Withinsaid carrier for said transformer and said returntube sections, said carrier forming mounting means for the tubes Withinsaid dummy body.

4. An electro-illuminating advertising and display device comprisingilluminating tubes, a transformer, a body supporting said illuminatingtubes, said supporting body representing a dummy shoe and consisting of.mouldable material, said shoe being provided With a recess toaccommodate said transformer and with channels leading from said recessto the front face of said dummy shoe thereby forming a readymademounting and supporting unit for said tubes, said transformer andaccessory parts of said tubes With avoidance of additional fasteningmeans.

5. An electro-illuminating advertising and display device comprisingilluminating tubes, a transformer, a body supporting said illuminatingtubes, said supporting body representing the article to' be displayedand consisting of mouldable material, said body being provided withrecesses and channels for mounting and introducing said illuminatingtubes said transformer and their operating accessories, holders for saidtubes, recesses within said supporting body forintroducing said holdersthereby being a ready-made mounting unit with avoidance of additionalfastening. means.

6. An electro-illuminating advertising and display device comprisingilluminating tubes, a transformer, a supporting body representing thearticle to be displayed and consisting of. mouldable material, said bodybeing provided with recesses and channels for mounting and introducingsaid tubes said transformer and their operating accessories, holders forsaid tubes, said holders forming a structuralunit with said tubes, andholes within said supporting body for fastening said holders.

'7. Anelectro-illuminating advertising and display device, comprisingilluminating tubes, a transformer, a body sup-porting said illuminatingtubes, said supporting body representing at least half a dummy shoehaving a complete front face and consisting of mouldable material, saidshoe being provided with a recess to accommodate said transformer andwith channels leading from said recess to the front face of said shoethereby representing a ready-made mounting and supporting unit for saidtubes, said transformer and accessory parts of said tubes with avoidanceof additional fastening means.

' ARTHUR J. WATERMAN.

